Hossein Amini to Pen The Subtle Knife

New Line has hired Hossein Amini (The Wings of the Dove) to pen The Subtle Knife, the second part of Phillip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials.”

Variety says that the move comes as New Line is in the midst of a five-month shoot on Pullman’s The Golden Compass at Shepperton Studios in London. Chris Weitz is directing the $150 million “Compass” — to be released on December 7 — from his own script.

Amini is currently penning Drive for Universal with Hugh Jackman attached to star and Marc Platt producing.

In “The Subtle Knife,” Pullman introduces the character of a 12-year-old boy who has learned the art of invisibility and is seeking his missing father when he encounters a vanishing cat and joins forces with Lyra Belacqua.